Chapter 14
Covey
Beautiful: Yes. You can have more than five minutes, Covey.
Her words wash over me and I feel like I can breathe for the first time since last night.
I was so terrified she had written me off for good.
Not only do I not want to lose her, but I don’t want to make things awkward between us.
We spend so much time together since we have the same group of friends.
I don’t want her to put distance between our friends, but I don’t want to lose them either.
Covey: Thank you.
“Why do you look like a twenty-pound weight was just lifted off of your shoulder?” Wyatt clamps a hand down on my shoulder and I tense up, until I remember I changed Cici’s name in my phone to ‘Beautiful’.
I did it knowing there was a good chance I’d have my phone out a lot near Cord this week. I’ll do anything to fix things between Cici and I. If I need to beg her for days to give me another shot, I’ll do it.
I knew if Cord saw me texting Cici things could go south and quickly. I'm not really sure how he’ll respond to the idea of us as more than friends. He’s a fair man and I don’t see why he’d be against it, but Cici’s still his sister.
“Probably because it feels like it,” I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “I screwed up with a girl I really care about, but I think she’s willing to give me a second chance.”
“That’s good. If you need any help, let me know.” Wyatt pats me on the back, then takes a seat at his cubby next to mine.
“Man, the guy was such a jerk. I don’t know why Cici would even think of bringing him here.” Cord shakes his head in frustration.
“What was he doing?” Smithy’s standing next to Cord’s cubby with his arms folded over his chest.
“He was mocking our lives and how ‘it must be nice to live a life of luxury’,” Cord says in a different tone.
“The guy was a lowlife and probably had to sweet talk my sister into dating him, hoping he could get something out of her. She deserves so much better than him. I just wish she could find a man worthy of her attention.”
“Then maybe you should stop warning us to stay away from her,” Wheeler teases. “We aren’t gold diggers because we already have our own gold. We know how to treat a woman and we definitely wouldn’t treat her poorly or Owen would kill us.”
“You’re not dating my sister, Wheeler,” Cord growls.
“I didn’t say I wanted to date her, I'm just saying maybe you shouldn’t tell everyone to stay away from her.” Wheeler glances in my direction and I roll my eyes.
He’s been telling me how Cici and I would be perfect for each other for years. He knows I like her, but he also knows I'm terrified of making a move and Cord or Owen getting angry.
“Alright, men, let’s get on the field and win this game!” Levi shouts, getting us pumped up for the game.
He’s a great coach. He knows exactly when to push us to work harder and when to back off and give us some time.
Between Levi and Owen, they run this team like a well-oiled machine.
They definitely have a pulse on each one of us and know what we need and when we need it.
I'm more than thankful to be on their team.
As we run out onto the field, I look up into the stands and wave to the fans. A lot of players ignore the fans and I don’t agree with that. Without fans cheering you on, playing in a packed stadium feels empty and weird.
I glance towards the Powells’ box. Even though I can’t see who’s in the suite, I know she’s up there. She rarely misses a game. I think the only time she doesn’t make them is when they’re during the workday, and even then, she tries to work her schedule to be here.
Cici practically lives and breathes baseball. She knows our schedule better than I do and makes every effort to be around when we have a rare day off. She’s basically made herself the perfect wife for a major league player.
I head over to the left field and begin throwing the ball back and forth with Schmidt. I love warming up before a game. I don’t know what it is about it, but it just feels good. Like the world is at our fingertips and anything is possible for the next three hours.
After we’re finished with our warmup and the game is about to begin, we head back into the dugout. I take a seat on the bench and lean my elbows on my knees. I drop my head and close my eyes, trying to force out everything else going on around me.
Cici isn’t mad at me. She’s giving me a second chance. I just need to get through this game, then I get to see her and fix everything. I can do this.
We take the field first and Leo strikes out the first three guys. I wince, feeling bad for them. It’s so frustrating when your team doesn’t score any points in an inning. It’s especially bad when you’re the first team up to bat.
Being in the outfield first, we know what we need to beat to win. We know exactly how many runs our team needs to stay ahead of our opponents. I swear that spurs our team on. It encourages us to keep going and to do better.
Wyatt’s the first up to bat. He misses the first two balls, but he connects with the third. He barely makes it to first base before our opponent gets the ball. I breathe a sigh of relief. This team is good and if we can win this game, it will be because we fought hard.
Cord steps up to the plate next. He takes a few practice swings and says something to the catcher.
When the ball comes sailing his way, he swings and misses the first one.
The second one hits the bat with a loud crack.
He sends it sailing towards left field and the guy from the other team isn’t paying attention.
He misses what should’ve been an easy ball and fails to get Cord out.
Third is Smithy. He’s laughing and smiling the entire time he’s at bat. He connects with the first pitch and hits it far into the outfield. He brings both Wyatt and Cord home, giving us an instant lead.
Wheeler and Schmidt go next. They both get on base and I can feel the pressure.
I'm up next. I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I need to make sure Smithy gets home. Having a three-point lead is huge.
I zero in on the pitcher and watch him carefully. I’ve studied the pitchers on every team. I’ve looked for their little tells so I can figure out how they’ll pitch the ball. Things most people barely pay attention to.
It’s what makes you a better batter. You’re able to anticipate what’s coming at you and how to respond.
He scratches the left side of his jaw. Something he only does when he’s going to throw a curve ball. I adjust my stance and prepare myself. When the curve ball comes my way, I'm ready for it. I slam my bat into the ball hard enough to send it sailing over the fence and the crowd goes wild!
I drop my bat and take off at a jog. I don’t need to hurry; there’s no way for me to get out. I make it all the way around to home and Smithy leaps into my arms, giving me a massive hug.
“That was crazy!” Smithy shouts above the roar of the stadium.
“Nice hit, Covey!” Levi calls from his spot on the side lines.
Man, if we can keep this up, we’ll be unstoppable in this game.
I glance back up at the box and wonder if Cici’s watching me. I wonder if she was even paying attention to the game when I hit my home run.